I didn’t explain myself well. I am not thinking of buying the
identically equipped PC laptop either at the same price.
If I had a $2500-$3000 budget (laptop, Applecare + case etc) I might
consider the Mac, but then in the PC laptop universe there are more
options of going with the slower processors (T2300 or T2400) for about
$1,000 less every thing else being more or less equal
One thing I find interesting about programmers is little
they value their tools.
If you compare lifetime wages and tool expenses for
programmers -vs- carpenters or mechanics, you’ll find
that our tools are very inexpesive -vs- our salaries.
Yet…many carpenters and mechanics (particularly the
best ones) buy quality tools because it makes their
work a bit easier and more productive.
Now, I understand that there’s a debate as to whether
Macs make our work a bit easier and more productive,
but just listen to your own language below:
For example would’nt the Toshiba get the job done with
Linux or FreeBSD?
Get the job done? That’s just not enough for me.
I find a very interesting dynamic these days in OS
choice, and I don’t want to start a flame war, so
don’t bother…
5-10 years ago, the more technical you were the less
likely you were to use a Mac, preferring either Unix
or Windows.
Today, the more technical you are, the MORE likely
you are to use a Mac. The clear exceptions to this
rule seem to be free OS devotees, but even then it
seems many of them use Macs running the free OS of
their choice…
choice, and I don’t want to start a flame war, so
their choice…
the tool of the day perhaps but the fact is that few people take the
time to learn the tools that they are using. The benefit of most gui
tools is that you intrinsically know how to use a substantial part of it
without any training whereas a terminal based editor requires some
learning.
Once you really learn how to use your editor, there is probably little
difference between them in productivity.
Operating systems of course are a different topic as you suggest and I
would take issue with your assertion that that the more technical you
are, the MORE likely you are to use a Mac. I would suggest that the
opposite is true, but I have a different perspective and there’s really
no reason to get into that here on this list.
Operating systems of course are a different topic as you suggest and I
would take issue with your assertion that that the more technical you
are, the MORE likely you are to use a Mac. I would suggest that the
opposite is true, but I have a different perspective and there’s
really
no reason to get into that here on this list.
Instead of technical, the word productive (which is more important to
me than knowing everything inside out) would be better placed here. I
find myself being a lot more productive on my Mac than I have been on
a PC (was forced to for some time). Quality and productivity are the
two main reasons I love my Mac. I’m just lucky my employer thinks the
same and is willing to spend some hard cash on that.
I would suggest that the opposite is true, but I have a
different perspective and there’s really no reason to get
into that here on this list.
Yeah, almost certainly got ahead of myself there, statistically,
but I’ll be you understand my point.
The idea of something as cool (for programmers) as Rails being
developed by a Macintosh user 5-10 years ago was fantastically
unlikely.
And, I will tell you this: Many of the most technical, successful
and competent programmers I know are using a Macintosh today, and
that’s a sea change. Some of these people I would never have
imagined ever switching form Windows and/or Solaris/FreeBSD/Linux.
I will say that most of these people are self employed, and
therefore have more control of their environments, and don’t need
to toe the line in the corporate world, as they exist outside that
world.
–
– Tom M.
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